Al Habtoor Group
Dubai-based group behind Al Habtoor City
How it started — Dubai, 1970
Al Habtoor Group was founded in Dubai in 1970 as a construction and engineering company by Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, an Emirati from Dubai. By public accounts his father traded in pearls and gold, he started work at 14, and in the late 1960s worked for a trading firm in Abu Dhabi. The timing matters: 1970 was a year before the UAE federation, and a company starting in construction grew in step with the country's roads, offices, schools and hospitals.
From contractor to diversified group
He followed the common first-generation Gulf pattern: contracting for steady cash flow, then fields that use the same credibility and network. The group now works in construction and engineering, real estate, hospitality, automotive, education and publishing. Al Habtoor Motors was set up in 1983 as the exclusive UAE distributor of Mitsubishi, opened its first flagship showroom in Deira the next year, and today also distributes JAC, FUSO and several hypercar brands and runs Bentley showrooms in Dubai (from 2016) and Abu Dhabi (from 2020).
Contracting and Habtoor Leighton
Construction runs through Habtoor Leighton Group, main contractor of Al Habtoor City. In 2008 a joint venture involving it won an AED 2.9 billion contract for the Trump International Hotel and Tower on Palm Jumeirah, which the developer cancelled after the 2008 financial crisis, a reminder that even the largest contracts are exposed to global shocks.
Hospitality with global brands
The Al Habtoor City hotels are run with international brands; management moved from Marriott to Hilton in 2018. The three hotels, Al Habtoor Palace, V Hotel and Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City, target different guests and price levels, and give residents access to hotel dining and services.
Al Habtoor City — a US$3 billion project
Al Habtoor City sits in Business Bay on Sheikh Zayed Road beside the Dubai Water Canal. Construction began in 2012 and it opened in 2018, at a cost of about US$3 billion, with 390,000 m² of floor area, 27,000 m² of gardens and around 5,000 parking spaces. It has three residential towers — Noora (75 floors), Amna (75) and Meera (52) — with more than 1,400 units including twelve ultra-luxury penthouses, three hotels, retail, the La Perle theatre and a tennis academy. Hotels were designed by Khatib & Alami and the towers by WS Atkins.
Al Habtoor Tower — the new chapter
When announced in 2023 the tower was described as 81 storeys with 1,701 units, targeting LEED Platinum. A report in April 2026 gives 86 floors and about 1,740 units, with phased handovers due to begin in summer 2026. The "world's largest residential building" label is a marketing claim and should be quoted as the developer's claim.
Khalaf Al Habtoor — public life
He has been a member of the UAE Federal National Council, chairman of Commercial Bank of Dubai and a board member of the Dubai Chamber. He founded the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge in 1998 and, in 2013, the Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Foundation funded by 20% of group equity, which built a hospital in Akkar, Lebanon. He was named in Forbes Middle East's Top 50 Travel and Tourism Leaders in 2022.
What the brand means for a buyer
Developers broadly split into those who build and sell quickly and groups that build to hold. Al Habtoor sits closer to the second. For buyers the points are a 50+ year record, a known Sheikh Zayed Road address and hotel services on site. Always check the payment plan, handover date and service charges: brand does not replace the contract.
Flagship projects
Al Habtoor Tower
Al Habtoor TowerA high-rise residential tower of more than 80 floors on Sheikh Zayed Road within Al Habtoor City, with a distinctive glass facade, views over the Dubai Water Canal and downtown, and access to the complex's hotels and restaurants. For buyers and investors, the main strength is the developer's name and the address.
Al Habtoor City
Al Habtoor CityA large mixed-use complex along the Dubai Water Canal with residential towers, three luxury hotels, retail and a show theatre. The idea is a "city within a city" in Business Bay, close to downtown.
La Perle
La Perle by DragoneA live water show designed by Franco Dragone in a dedicated 1,300-seat theatre at Al Habtoor City, mixing acrobatics, diving and water staging. It is one of Dubai's best-known night attractions.
Habtoor Palace
Habtoor Palace DubaiA luxury hotel with classical European architecture and tall public spaces, under Hilton's LXR brand, offering a classic-luxury counterpoint to the modern towers of the complex.
Hotel Imperial Vienna
Hotel Imperial ViennaA historic five-star hotel on Vienna's Ringstrasse owned by Al Habtoor Group, a sign of the group's long-term European luxury holdings.
Habtoor Grand & Polo
Habtoor Grand & PoloThe Jumeirah beachfront hotel and the Polo complex form the group's lifestyle, beach and sport side.
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